Whirling toy



y 1952 A. M. STEINER 2,595,990

WHIRLING TOY Filed April 11, 1950 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1 M4 EINVENTOR.

'BY Max! 47, M v LM ATTORNEYS.

May 6, 1952 A. M. STEINER WHIRLING TOY 2 SHEETSSHEET 2 Filed April 11, 1950 vil i ll! ii. I I: 71 Ill fall! I rflllllllllu INVENTOR.

Mild/7 I M V ATTORNEYS.

Patented May 6, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE WHIRLING TOY Albert M. Steiner, Cincinnati, Ohio Application April 11, 1950, Serial No. 155,187

2 Claims. 1

This invention relates to children's toys and is particularly concerned with a whirling or spinning toy which combines features of color display and sound making.

- The general type of toy to which the invention relates and the means provided for imparting the whirling motion are old and well known. The invention is concerned with particular improvements in the construction and mode of operation which greatly increase the toys attraction for children and even for adults.

It has long been conventional to whirl a single disc having a variegated color pattern imposed thereon by means of a looped cord inserted through a pair of apertures in the central part of the disc. The disc is first wound on the cord manually by swinging it continuously around the cord with a circular motion and with one end of the looped cord held in each hand. After the cord has been wound, the ends are pulled outwardly from both sides of the disc and a fast rotary whirling motion is imparted to the disc by the unwinding of the string. After the string has become unwound, the continued rotation of the disc resulting from its inertia winds the string in the reverse direction and a reasonably adept manipulator can thereby keep the disc rotating for an indefinite period of time. The same general arrangement has also been employed on discs having saw teeth on the outer periphery. These can be manipulated by a child in such a way as to saw paper, cardboard or even soft wood. Other embodiments of this general idea have also been provided.

One of the objects of the present invention has been to improve the general type of structure just described to provide a toy which is of rigid and reinforced construction and which can be used for an indefinite period of time.

Another object has been to provide a toy in which a sound effect is produced by the normal operation of the toy and one in which the sound note is not constant but varies from time to tim with the whirling motion.

' Another object has been to provide a toy in which a particularly pleasing color pattern is obtained on the sides of the toy during the whirling operation and one in which the color pattern constantly changes with the rotation of the toy.

Other and further objects and advantages will be apparent from the further and more detailed description of the invention when considered in conjunction with the drawings illustrating a preferred embodiment and a modification thereof, and in which:

Figure l is a side elevation of a toy constituting a preferred embodiment of the invention assembled and in position for use.

Figure 2 is an end elevation of the structure shown in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is an exploded view of the side of the toy which is visible in Figure 1.

Figure 4 is an exploded View of the reverse side of the toy.

Figure 5 is an enlarged side elevational view of the side of the toy shown in Figure 1-which is partially broken away to illustrate the assembly of the elements illustrated in Figure 3.

Figure 6 is a cross sectional View along the line 6B, Figure 1.

Figure 7 is a cross sectional view along the line 'l1, Figure 2.

Figure 8 is a view similar to Figure 5 illustrating a modified form of the invention.

Figure 9 is a sectional view along the line 9-9, Figure 8.

As best illustrated in Figure 1, the entire toy comprises three main elements: the main disc designated generally as ID, the continuous cord length I I which is passed through a pair of bores in the main disc, and the handle elements 12 and I3 in which the cord ends are secured.

The main disc I0 is formed of a pair of circular plates M of identical configuration, theplates being spaced apart and connected by flat transverse bafiles I5 or spacer elements which extend radially inward at spaced points around the circumference of the disc. In the preferred form of assembly, the plates and baffles are formed from a hard surfaced plastic material and alternate baffles are formed integrally with opposite plates. As illustrated in Figures 2 and 7 particularly, the extended edge of each battle is inserted into a groove [6 in a rib I! on the inner surface of the opposite disc and secured there by adhesive. This results in a particularly strong and effective structure and facilitates the fabrication of the elements.

On the outer edge surface of each plate, a peripheral flange I8 is formed. A similar flange I9 is positioned inwardly of the peripheral flange, and the two flanges, l8 and I9, define a circular recess or groove 20 in which the color discs and screens described below are adapted to be loosely positioned. A plug 2| extends outwardly from the surface in the central area of the plate and has a pair of bores 22 formed through it into which the cord ends are adapted to be threaded. A second recess 23 is formed between the outer edges of the plug 2| and the inner flange I9. Apertures Figure l.

ious freely mounted elements. color patterns 'thus pro'vided not only. change "with each reversal b'ut vary in practically an 24, preferably of rectangular configuration, are formed in this recess and sound reeds 25 are secured over these apertures preferably on the inner side of the plates as illustrated in Figures 2 and '7. The reeds may also be molded into the plates when they are formed. A rotatable sound screen disc 44 comprising a round flat disc having a portion cut away to form a slot or aperture 45 is adapted t"be loosely positioned in the recess 23 when the various elements of the device are assembled.

The component elements which, produce the color and sound efiects are illustrated in Figures 3 and 4. The color disc which has been designated generally as 26 is a thin flat-disc formed from cardboard, plastic or the like and having a central aperture which is adapted to engage with the outer surfaces of the flange I9. The exact color arrangement or pattern on this disc is not essential to the invention, but in the preferred 'froin"s'hown,"the disc is divided into a plurality of sections '2'! which are positioned radially around the periphery,and these sections divided into stripes 28 of contrasting colors or color arrangements. Preferably, the pattern is composed of the three primarycolors, red, blue andyellow, so that'upon rotating the toy, the

colors mix and produce varying color patterns.

This disc is adapted to be placed directly in the recess 20 and tube covered by the color screen 'pIa't'e'ZS, tire "exact configurations of which are not'm'aterial except that it has a central aperture of the sa'me'size'asthat of the color disc 26 and 'is like'wis'eadapted to fit on the inner flange I8. After the color disc 26 and 'color screen plate 29 have "been assembled in this order, the end cap 39 having a central aperture 3| is fitted on the'plug 2|. This end cap may also have a pair of oval apertures32 formed therein to facilitate the outward passage of sound as illustrated in On its inner surface, the end cap 39 has an'out'er flange "4| which is adapted to engage'd with "and be adhesively secured to the flange T9,"thereby'maintaining the end cap in 'colorscreenplate 29 being loosely mounted are free to rotate relative "to the disc. In this embodix'nnt theiiiner flange 39 fits into a periphe- 'ra1'rec'es's lllin the "plug'2l, but is not secured to the'ma'ih disc. However, each time the toy is reversedfthe inertia of the freely mounted screens andcolor' discs causes them to overtravel attheieve'rsal and 'changetheir positions relative tothe main disc. Thus, each time reversal occurs, 'the'color pattern of'the disc is changed.

It is also atthis time, that is, upon reversal, that the sound screen discs 44 shift position relative to the reeds. It can be 'seen, therefore,

that'the differences inweights of 'the screens and discsfan'd the difierences in the friction between "thes'e'element's' and the main disc or between the ele'ni'ents themselves, both contribute to a 'd'ifierential of overtravel between the var- Obviously, the

infiniteh'um'b'er of combinations.

'pa'ssage'of soundfrom the reed'25.

recess 2!; on the opposite side of the disc from that illustrated in Figure l, but again the exact configuration and number of discs does not form an essential element of the invention. Those illustrated include a color disc 33 having somewhat larger segments 34 and somewhat wider stripes 35 from that previously described. Also included are a color screen plate 36 having a pair of oval shaped apertures =31 formedtherein and a second color screen plate 38 adapted to be fitted on top of the first. The construction of the end cap 30 is the same as that previously described, and the assembly of the elements is the same except for the inclusion of the additional color screen plate.

In the modification of the invention illustrated in Figures-B and 9, the color screen plate, here designated 42, is somewhat similar in contour to that previously designated 29, except that it includes an aperture 43 to permit the In this-construction, the "color screen plate "42 is formed integrally with a sound "screen disc previously described as 44. The inner'flange [Sis omitted from the constructionof the plate I4 and'the flange 41 is omittedfrom the'construction of the end cap 30, the end cap'being adhesively'secured to the .plug 2| 'along the innerflange SQ'ofthe end cap 3!]. With this construction, "the "disc 42, which is adaptedtoiunction both'as a'sound screen and color screen,'is free to rotate without interference from the flanges i 9 and '41.

In the operation'of'the-device, theelements are assembled'in the manner describedandthe disc is whirled in exactly the same way a's'in'the prior art structures. The centrifugal force created through the whirling of 'the'dis'c forces out the air whichwas 'o'riginall'y contained 'between the pair of circular plates l4,"creating 'a partial vacuuminthisarea. The existence of the vacuum causesnew air to be sucked through the apertures 24 in the sides of the "discs'and through the sound reeds 25 which creates a whistling or singingnois'e which'varies "withthe speed of the'rotatio'n of the disc and'tlierel'ative positioning of the sound screen plate 44 "with respect to the apertures 24. 'It will ben'oted that the construction of the plate '44 is such 'that 'it never entirely closes'both of the apertures but always 'clos'es' aportion of at least one. The

color effect is causedb'y'tli'e rotation of the'particular color disc, such as 25 or 33 and varies with the positioning of thevariou'scolor screen plates such as 29, 36 or 38.

Obviously, the exact sound and 'c'olorfefiects may be varied within r'atlierwidelimits. Diffr ent types and numbers "of reeds maybe employed and sound screen plates of diiierentconfig'uration may be used inconjunction'with'them. The color eiiects permit an evenwider variation-and if desired and with slightmodi'fica'tions instructure the end cap may'be'made' 'dtachables'dthat the color discs and color screenplates may'gbeieplaced when desired with others of a different pattern.

Having described" my invention, I claim:

1. A rotatable toy comprising a pairof spaced plates, spacer elements interconnecting said plates, a soundmaking elementmounted in the side wall of one of said plates, acolor panel mounted on the exterior surface of the same plate as'the' sound making element, andmeans for inteiunittently screening the soundelinent during rotation of mercy and siirimtafieousiy screening portions of said color panel.

2. A rotatable toy including a pair of spaced plates and spacer elements interconnecting said plates, a sound making element mounted in the side wall of one of said plates, a color panel likewise mounted on the same side wall and a screen element mounted for free rotation with respect to the toy, said screen element being adapted to screen intermittently portions of the color panel and the sound making element;

ALBERT M. STEINER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

Number UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Steel et a1 Nov. 30, 1875 Jenkins Ma 8, 1877 Brown Feb. 26, 1889 Evans Feb. 9, 1909 Brett Dec. 26, 1922 Buben Dec. 24, 1940 

